Bac Lieu expands cultivation of world’s best rice varieties
The Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu has decided to expand the cultivation of ST 24 and ST 25, two local rice varieties that rank among the world’s best, this year.
Harvesting the 2019 - 2020 winter - spring rice in Bac Lieu province's Phuoc Long district. (Photo: VNA)
Bac Lieu (VNA) – The Mekong Deltaprovince of Bac Lieu has decided to expand the cultivation of ST 24 and ST 25,two local rice varieties that rank among the world’s best, this year.
ST 24 ranked third in the World’s Best RiceContest in 2017 and ST 25 topped the contest last year.
For the 2020 summer – autumn rice crop, theprovince has undertaken field demonstrations for growing the two varieties forthe benefit of 60 households in five districts and Gia Rai town on a combinedarea of 60ha.
After the crop is harvested, the area underthe two varieties will be expanded to 3,500ha using the rice – shrimp rotationmodel this year, according to the provincial People’s Committee.
Under the rice - shrimp model, rice is grownin the rainy season and shrimp is bred in the dry season on the same ricefield. Both are clean since farmers use few chemicals under the model.
The model will be adopted mostly in Hong Danand Phuoc Long districts and Gia Rai town.
The provincial Department of Agriculture andRural Development and local authorities will call on companies to tie up withfarmers for growing the two rice varieties and buying the output.
Besides the province’s field demonstrationmodels, farmers in many areas are also growing ST 24 rice for the summer –autumn crop.
In Phuoc Long district, for instance, theyare growing 500ha, according to the local People’s Committee.
Tran Quang Liem, Vice Chairman of the PhuocLong District People’s Committee, said the district would work with theprovince’s Agriculture Extension Centre to teach farmers techniques to improveproduction.
In the 2019 rice crop during the rainyseason, farmers planted ST 24 on 45ha in Phuoc Long district and 120ha in HongDan district.
Luu Hoang Ly, director of the department,said ST 24 and ST 25 have many advantages like being resistant to salinity anddisease.
They provide average yields of 6.2 – 7.7tonnes per hectare and offer farmers an income of 30.8 – 38.5 million VND (1,330– 1,660 USD) per hectare per crop since they are highly popular varieties, headded./.
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Harvesting the 2019 - 2020 winter - spring rice in Bac Lieu province's Phuoc Long district. (Photo: VNA) 
